These trends were reflected in the results of the Q1 2019 European Mechanical Installation Monitor, which focused on services in the installation market.

Aside from the variety of services offered by installers to their clients, installers from six European countries were asked about the services they would like to receive from manufacturers of installation products. 

The top three services European installers would like to receive from manufacturers are real-time installation support, service and installation instruction training, and prefab solutions that are quick and easy to install.

In half of the countries, a substantial number of installers asked for prefabrication solutions that are quick and easy to install. This rising demand can easily be explained by the pressure of the growing labour shortage, for prefab solutions allow a smaller workforce to get the jobs done quicker.

Additionally, the demand for solutions that are easy to install may indicate that installers are struggling with increasingly complex systems to install due to rapid technological developments. The latter trend can also be seen in the interest in service and installation instruction and training from manufacturers, which was shown substantially by installers in all but one of the six countries.

Real-time installation support was one of the services from manufacturers that installers from all countries asked for most, although differences between countries can be seen. When focusing, for instance, on the interest installers have in Augmented Reality (AR) or Mixed Reality (MR) remote service support, Belgium and Poland take the lead with 35 percent of the installers being interested in those services from manufacturers. Interest from other countries was close to that number as well, the UK being the only exception.

The demand for real-time installation support, and AR and MR remote service support specifically, is a good indicator of the effects of all trends mentioned. These services can help installers deal with the increasing complexity of systems directly on the job-site.

Also, AR and MR remote service support allows younger and less experienced generations of installers to be individually operational in the field sooner, thereby providing solutions both for the loss of quality because of older generations of installers leaving the market, and for the increasing labour shortage.

Overall, the demand for the services highlighted here show the effects major trends in the construction market have on installers and at the same time show opportunities for manufacturers to help installers deal with those trends, and consequently make their brands and products more attractive to installers by providing the right services.

The services mentioned here are just an example of the variety of services installers ask from manufacturers to help them in commercial, engineering, installation and maintenance processes.